Sri Lanka park landmine kills 8

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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- Eight people were killed in a Sri Lankan park on Saturday when a landmine exploded, Sri Lankan military authorities said Sunday.

Seven Sri Lankan tourists and a guide were traveling in Wilpattu National Park in the northwestern part of the country when the explosive detonated.

The incident took place near territory held by the Tamil Tigers, the separatist rebel group that has been at odds for decades with the government of the Indian Ocean island nation.

Before a 2002 cease-fire between the government and rebels that halted a raging civil war, the rebels used the park as a hiding place. Lately, there has been an upsurge in fighting between the government and the rebels.

Investigators want to know whether the mine was planted before the 2002 cease-fire or whether it was recently emplaced.